University master’s degrees

University master’s degrees have the endorsement of the university which grants them and the recognition of the country’s Government. They are subjected to a full evaluation process that guarantees their quality and their inclusion in the RUCT.

Specific master’s degrees

Specific master’s degrees are endorsed by the prestige of the university or the education centre granting them.

What are the main differences between official master’s degrees and specific master’s degrees?

1. Recognition in the Labour Market

Official titles are an essential requirement to work in public service both in Spain and in Western and Anglo-Saxon countries. The recognition in the labour market of a master’s degree depends both on the prestige of the institution that grants it (the UAB is a leading university in international rankings and the Johan Cruyff Institute is a world reference center for sport management education) and on the prestige of the master’s degree in its field (which will be given by the teachers involved, the subjects taken, the number of editions of the program …). In general, companies do not consider whether a qualification is an official or a specific degree when they hire a professional, but rather the prestige of the program and whether it provides the student with the knowledge and skills required by the profile they are seeking. The prestige of a master’s degree depends to a large extent on the work that this program has done in its sector and, above all, on whether it is recommended by former students or teachers.

2. Access to a PhD

To access a PhD in the Spanish higher education system, it is necessary to have completed an official master’s degree or equivalent (for example, a master’s degree from another country that qualifies for access to PhD programmes). However, each PhD has its own admission requirements, and might request additional prerequisites besides the official Master’s degree.

3. Recognition in Other Countries

In the European Higher Education Area, EHEA, official master’s degrees are recognized in all the universities. However, the legislation of each country decides on the recognition of Spanish qualifications both in relation to official and specific master’s degrees.

4. Academic Staff and Industry Professionals

The faculty of the Official Master’s Degree in Sport Management includes mainly PhDs and professionals from the sports industry, who add value to the program. On the other hand, our private master’s degrees generally incorporate the Johan Cruyff Institute faculty together with other professionals in the sector.

5. Hands-on Orientation and Internships

Our private master’s degrees incorporate the possibility of doing extra-curricular internships (optional and voluntary), while the official master’s degree includes mandatory internships. All our master’s degrees incorporate professionals from the sector who provide teaching with the professional orientation demanded by the labour market.

The University Master’s Degree in Sports Management, both the on campus and online modalities, is a title offered by Johan Cruyff Institute and endorsed by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

The UAB is a leading public university offering quality, diversified, multidisciplinary and flexible teaching, tailored to the needs of society and adapted to the new models of the Europe of knowledge.

International recognition of the UAB can be seen in its leading position in major international university rankings. The UAB is among the leading Spanish universities in worldwide rankings such as the QS World University Rankings (QS WUR), the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE WUR) and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). It occupies a world-leading position among young universities according to specific classifications for universities under 50 years old developed by QS and Times Higher Education.

Specific Master’s Degrees by Johan Cruyff Institute are:


University Master’s Degrees by Johan Cruyff Institute are: